Domestic violence suspect shot by police in Ralph's lot

(FOX 11/CNS) - A 46-year-old transient suspected of domestic violence was shot and fatally wounded by a police officer in the parking lot of a Ralphs supermarket in Garden Grove Tuesday afternoon.

Police were called just before 3 p.m. to the store at 12051 S. Euclid St. Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney said several witnesses reported a woman was screaming for help in a car, saying she couldn't breathe. The suspect, who was in the vehicle with her, appeared to be choking her, he said.

An officer arrived within a few minutes and located the car, Whitney said.

"As the officer approached he saw the victim and suspect still struggling inside the car," Whitney said. "The officer confronted the suspect and an officer-involved shooting occurred."

The suspect was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:38 p.m., Whitney said. The man's name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

The woman, 43, a resident of Garden Grove, was also taken to an area hospital to be treated, he said. The officer was uninjured.

"The male suspect and female victim were known to each other and their exact relationship is being investigated," Whitney said.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office will investigate, which is standard protocol in officer-involving shootings.